[mmichaels1970]

And how’d the refs miss it when they were handling the balls in between plays?

In my opinion and in pure speculation, the refs aren't exerting the kind of grip that a player does. The difference in pressure may be subtle, but possibly more noticeable when you're trying to hold on for dear life. A ref might get the ball tossed to him where he jogs over to place it on the ground.

The linebacker position has a tendency to get the reputation that they have "hands of stone". And traditionally, the joke has been that those that can't catch become defensive backs.

It is totally conceivable to me that a player who is used to passes bouncing off of his hands, chest, and head might think..."hmmm the ball seemed to be a bit softer and easier to catch that time".

[discostu]

With regulation pressure being between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds, 2 PSI under is 1/6 of proper. A 5/6 inflated ball should be pretty obvious, especially when they’re also handling properly inflated balls. I would think the “one of these things” jingle should have been playing in somebody’s head long before the interception.

[TexasGator]

“It is totally conceivable to me that a player who is used to passes bouncing off of his hands, chest, and head might think...”hmmm the ball seemed to be a bit softer and easier to catch that time”. “

If the ball was harder, then maybe he wouldn’t have intercepted it ...